361. ‘Dicemi spesso il mio fidato speglio,’

my weary spirit, and my altered skin,

and my weakened skill and strength, saying:

‘Don’t fool yourself any more: you are old.

Obedience to Nature in everything is better

than to contest time and power with her.’

Suddenly then, as water quenches fire,

I wake from a long and heavy sleep:

and see how truly our life flies

and we cannot be here more than once:

and her words echo deeply in my heart,

she who is freed now from the lovely knot,

but was unique in her age of the world,

and stole, if I do not err, all others’ fame.

Notes